Many diseases are spread from one person to another through contact, whether direct or indirect. Direct contact causes the contagium to be transmitted from the carrier to another, who may become infected and/or pass the contagium on to yet another. Nosocomical infections are particularly prevalent with medical personnel, who may come into contact, knowingly or not, with infectious diseases. Indirect contact occurs when the carrier touches some article, thereby depositing the contagium and permitting it to be contacted by another coming into contact with the article. Many contagia are spread by contact, directly or indirectly with the hands.
Some contagia can be destroyed through the use of water and cleansing agents, such as soaps, antiseptic agents and the like. Hospital personnel may receive training in the proper method of washing hands, as a means for minimizing the spread of nosocomical infections. Many communities likewise require that individuals handling food wash their hands prior to handling food.
Many hospitals have a wash station which is utilized for the washing of hands. The wash station has a valve, possibly foot or leg operated, for controlling water flow from a faucet to a sink. A source of cleansing agent, such as a liquid soap, is also provided, as are folded paper towels for drying the hands. Hot air dryers are normally not provided in a hospital environment, because the flow of air has a tendency to spread the contagia. Wash stations suffer from numerous drawbacks, such as improper quantity of soap, a need to touch a valve or other potentially contaminated site after the hands are washed, and excessive use of water while the washing operation takes place.
The disclosed invention is a wash station, suitable for both hospital and food-handling establishments. The wash station has an infrared sensor for detecting the presence of a user. Once a potential user is detected, then a control system causes a sufficient quantity of water to be dispensed in order to permit the hands to be wet. A predetermined amount of soap sufficient to cleanse the hands is then dispensed, and a further quantity of water is dispensed in order to permit the hands to be rinsed. Finally, a selected length of roll toweling is dispensed.
Should the user merely desire to run the water, such as to obtain a drink, or to obtain some toweling, then the control system has means to permit these to occur, thereby by-passing the handwashing mode. Operation of the wash station may be monitored by a central computer, which also has the capability of notifying appropriate maintenance personnel if the wash station is not operating properly, or requires servicing.